First: RING THE BELLS! I HAVE A NEW CAMERA! Here at Wizenberg-Pettit World Headquarters, we are excited.

And grabby.

Second: we are also into soup, apparently, which is why I’m going to tell you about yet another, our third soup in a row. I am so, so sorry.

This particular soup, however, is only approximately a soup. I don’t know that I would have even thought to call it a soup, actually, except for the fact that its author, the wonderful, recently departed Marcella Hazan, called it that. She called it Rice and Smothered Cabbage Soup. To me, it’s closer to a risotto, a risotto that starts with an entire head of Savoy cabbage, shredded and cooked very gently in plenty of olive oil, until it gives up the fight and goes sweet and tender and limp as a rag. (I am simile-impaired tonight. Limp as… the arm of a sleeping person? Limp as… soft as… a pile of silk ribbon? Ribbon that you can cook with rice and broth and then eat?) This soup exemplifies one of the best lessons I’ve learned from Italian food: namely, that cooking vegetables for a long time, until they fall apart, or nearly fall apart – what we non-Italians might wrongly call overcooking vegetables – works like no other method to draw out their intrinsic sweetness and deepest, fullest flavor. (Another good example of this is my friend Francis’s eggplant pasta sauce, which, if you haven’t yet made, do.)

I first learned about this recipe almost six years ago, from Luisa, who posted it on her site. I made it not long after, and I considered writing about it here, but I figured that was probably redundant. So I quietly kept making it and not telling you about it. I made it most recently last Saturday night, after a day spent traveling home from our family Thanksgiving celebration (accidentally leaving behind our stroller on the steps of my cousin’s house in California! Losing our off-site airport parking stub! Craning our necks to find our car as the kind, young shuttle driver made loop after loop after loop around the lot!), and Brandon and I sat on the living room floor after June went to bed and ate big bowls of it in front of our first fire of the season, and when we both went back for seconds, I thought, The people need to know.

You can’t really tell that it’s a soup up there under that small mountain of grated Parmesan, but that’s for the best, because it’s not the most handsome soup around. The cabbage is cooked for almost two hours, long enough that its color comes to approximate that of a canned pea. But. You take that cabbage and cook it some more, now with broth and rice. (This part only takes about twenty minutes, so if you made the cabbage ahead of time (it freezes well), it’s almost an instant dinner. Instant-ish.) And when the rice is tender and the soup is thick and steaming and has a bolstering, reassuring look about it, you stir in some butter and Parmesan, and then, if you live in our house, you eat it with more Parmesan on top.

In a good-size pot (about 4 quarts), combine the cabbage, the broth, and 1 cup of water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the rice, and then lower the heat so that the soup bubbles at a slow but steady simmer. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender but firm to the bite, about 20 minutes. If you find that the soup is becoming too thick, add a little water. The soup should be pretty dense, but there should still be some liquid.

When the rice is done, turn off the heat, and stir in the butter and the grated Parmesan. Taste, and correct for salt. Serve with black pepper and more Parmesan.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings - and try to save some for later, because these leftovers make a lunch worth looking forward to

Put the onion and olive oil in a Dutch oven (or another pot of approximately the same size), and set over medium heat. Cook and stir until the onion is pale gold, and then add the garlic. Continue cooking until the garlic is fragrant and looks cooked through, a few minutes, and then add the sliced cabbage. Stir a few times to coat the cabbage with oil; then continue to cook until it’s wilted. Add a couple of generous pinches of salt, a grind or two of pepper, and the vinegar. Stir to mix, and then cover the pan and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cook, stirring occasionally, for at least 1.5 hours, or until the cabbage is very, very tender. If the pan seems dry at any point, you can add a tablespoon or two of water. When the cabbage is done, taste for salt, and season as needed.

This cabbage can be made a few days ahead of the soup, if needed, and it also freezes nicely.

Wow, am I the first comment?What kind of camera did you get??I love reading all your posts, but I get especially excited when you share a recipe that isn't sweet. I'm definitely going to make this one!Thanks for being awesome.

Wow, am I the first comment?What kind of camera did you get??I love reading all your posts, but I get especially excited when you share a recipe that isn't sweet. I'm definitely going to make this one!Thanks for being awesome.

Funny thing about vegetables, especially at this time of year: They seem destined for soup. Seems like I'm making a pot of soup every week, and this one will certainly be added to my repertoire. In fact, with the upcoming harsh weather that's slated for this area, I think I need to pick up some cabbage so that I can make this soup this weekend!

Funny thing about vegetables, especially at this time of year: They seem destined for soup. Seems like I'm making a pot of soup every week, and this one will certainly be added to my repertoire. In fact, with the upcoming harsh weather that's slated for this area, I think I need to pick up some cabbage so that I can make this soup this weekend!

More soup, always. Don't stop. I practically live on it in the fall/winter months. What new camera did you get? Huge congrats! That's a cause for celebration – perhaps a new cocktail in new camera's honor?

More soup, always. Don't stop. I practically live on it in the fall/winter months. What new camera did you get? Huge congrats! That's a cause for celebration – perhaps a new cocktail in new camera's honor?

I, for one, am thoroughly enjoying your soup marathon. This one sounds fantastic! With the freezing Seattle weather we're having, it just seems like the right thing to do. 🙂 This week's soup was a Celery & Green Apple Soup:

I, for one, am thoroughly enjoying your soup marathon. This one sounds fantastic! With the freezing Seattle weather we're having, it just seems like the right thing to do. 🙂 This week's soup was a Celery & Green Apple Soup:

Whoa! You left us hanging on the camera announcement! If you used it for the photos you posted, it took great pics. What is it? What were you using? It it everything you thought it would be and more? Do you over research like me?

Whoa! You left us hanging on the camera announcement! If you used it for the photos you posted, it took great pics. What is it? What were you using? It it everything you thought it would be and more? Do you over research like me?

Thank you for the post. It was -2 when I got up this morning, so this soup is perfect timing. Question: I have about 1/2 a head of cabbage in the fridge, but also a bunch of kale. Could the kale sub in for the smothered cabbage, do you think?

Thank you for the post. It was -2 when I got up this morning, so this soup is perfect timing. Question: I have about 1/2 a head of cabbage in the fridge, but also a bunch of kale. Could the kale sub in for the smothered cabbage, do you think?

YES. Cabbage is one of the most underrated vegetables out there, especially when cooked a long time—but then it's SO GOOD. I haven't made this particular soup before, but I'm absolutely going to try it now. Solid hearty peasant food for the win!

YES. Cabbage is one of the most underrated vegetables out there, especially when cooked a long time—but then it's SO GOOD. I haven't made this particular soup before, but I'm absolutely going to try it now. Solid hearty peasant food for the win!

Oh my god this sounds divine on this gloomy NYC day. We're packing for our cross country move and making this sounds SOOOO much better. What other veggies could you recommend using besides cabbage that would hold up as well? Also, just want to make sure you put the 1.5 hr cooked cabbage in with the uncooked rice and cook some more… right?? Can't wait to make. PS. our little guy just turned one yesterday so I love all the pics and videos of your gorgeous June.

Oh my god this sounds divine on this gloomy NYC day. We're packing for our cross country move and making this sounds SOOOO much better. What other veggies could you recommend using besides cabbage that would hold up as well? Also, just want to make sure you put the 1.5 hr cooked cabbage in with the uncooked rice and cook some more… right?? Can't wait to make. PS. our little guy just turned one yesterday so I love all the pics and videos of your gorgeous June.

Thank you for this! I'm going to try it. I just bought a Scottish spurtle, and this looks like the perfect dish to use it in. I'm a bit of a dork, but nothing gets me excited to cook like a beautiful new tool. Actually, that's true of every part of my life.

Thank you for this! I'm going to try it. I just bought a Scottish spurtle, and this looks like the perfect dish to use it in. I'm a bit of a dork, but nothing gets me excited to cook like a beautiful new tool. Actually, that's true of every part of my life.

Whooaaaa! I had no idea that so many of you would be curious about the camera. I didn't mean to be coy! Here are the details: after much consideration, I bought a Canon 5D Mark III. I'd been thinking about buying some kind of Canon 5D for a couple of years, but I had a hard time committing to spending that kind of money on something that will soon go obsolete. In comparison, my film cameras (which were much less expensive) are as old as I am, are still going strong, and take beautiful photos. But film is slow, and I realized that not having a digital camera was keeping me from posting here as often as I wanted to. So I bit the bullet. (And I bought a 50mm f/1.2 lens, too, while I was at it.)

Whooaaaa! I had no idea that so many of you would be curious about the camera. I didn't mean to be coy! Here are the details: after much consideration, I bought a Canon 5D Mark III. I'd been thinking about buying some kind of Canon 5D for a couple of years, but I had a hard time committing to spending that kind of money on something that will soon go obsolete. In comparison, my film cameras (which were much less expensive) are as old as I am, are still going strong, and take beautiful photos. But film is slow, and I realized that not having a digital camera was keeping me from posting here as often as I wanted to. So I bit the bullet. (And I bought a 50mm f/1.2 lens, too, while I was at it.)

God, I love cabbage. Yet another recipe that is exactly what I want. I'll be making this tomorrow, no doubt about it. Also, let me be the who-knows-how-many-nth person to say that your child is absolutely beautiful. My grandmother used to call me her little cabbage… I now see why!

God, I love cabbage. Yet another recipe that is exactly what I want. I'll be making this tomorrow, no doubt about it. Also, let me be the who-knows-how-many-nth person to say that your child is absolutely beautiful. My grandmother used to call me her little cabbage… I now see why!

I love Marcella and make a similar smothered cabbage – only usually I just mix it with cooked orzo for an even lazier meal. Also, I've never cooked it for quite that long, usually closer to 45 minutes or whenever it gets meltingly tender. I'll have to try the extra time and see if the difference makes it worth it. And I'll have to try with some garlic added. Usually I just use the onion, carmelize the onion for a bit, throw in the shredded cabbage, lid it and let it cook for about a half hour or so on low that way with maybe a few spoonfuls of water added and a generous pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper. Take off the lid, raise heat and carmelize the mixture some more, add in small cooked pasta, add cheese and devour.

Sometimes, I just eat the entire head of cabbage cooked this way without the pasta.

I love Marcella and make a similar smothered cabbage – only usually I just mix it with cooked orzo for an even lazier meal. Also, I've never cooked it for quite that long, usually closer to 45 minutes or whenever it gets meltingly tender. I'll have to try the extra time and see if the difference makes it worth it. And I'll have to try with some garlic added. Usually I just use the onion, carmelize the onion for a bit, throw in the shredded cabbage, lid it and let it cook for about a half hour or so on low that way with maybe a few spoonfuls of water added and a generous pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper. Take off the lid, raise heat and carmelize the mixture some more, add in small cooked pasta, add cheese and devour.

Sometimes, I just eat the entire head of cabbage cooked this way without the pasta.

Hah. I could tell that was a 5D without you even telling us! Making beautiful stuff with it already, of course! And, even though film photography is my jam, I hope the 5D is my next camera, maybe in a few years.

Hope you're all doing well, and I am so looking forward to making this soup.

Hah. I could tell that was a 5D without you even telling us! Making beautiful stuff with it already, of course! And, even though film photography is my jam, I hope the 5D is my next camera, maybe in a few years.

Hope you're all doing well, and I am so looking forward to making this soup.

Molly, I made the soup for dinner–it's wonderful! I didn't know that plain old green cabbage could be so luxurious. I definitely helped myself to more than a few forkfuls of cabbage before I went on to make the soup. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. I'd woken up this morning wanting to cook something soupy and vegetal. This was perfect.

Molly, I made the soup for dinner–it's wonderful! I didn't know that plain old green cabbage could be so luxurious. I definitely helped myself to more than a few forkfuls of cabbage before I went on to make the soup. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. I'd woken up this morning wanting to cook something soupy and vegetal. This was perfect.

I just made this with leeks and pearled barley and it was delicious. I too cut down the cooking time for the cabbage, adding the barley after about 30 minutes and then cooking everything over medium heat for another 40 minutes or so. Our 1.5 year old kept asking for tastes while the cabbage was cooking. One to add to the regular meal rotation!

I just made this with leeks and pearled barley and it was delicious. I too cut down the cooking time for the cabbage, adding the barley after about 30 minutes and then cooking everything over medium heat for another 40 minutes or so. Our 1.5 year old kept asking for tastes while the cabbage was cooking. One to add to the regular meal rotation!

Cooking vegetables to death as I like to call it has been one of the best cooking lessons I learned since moving to Rome a year ago. While I am still partial to vegetables with a bit of bite, eaten straight from the colander (broccoli is particularly good for that I find), it is so true that the long and slow cooking brings out so much more flavour – it wasn't until I tried a dish called pasta con le mappe (essentially pasta tossed with panfried cauliflower) that I realised how sweet cauliflower can be.

A savoy cabbage made its way into my weekly shopping the other day and until I saw your post I wasn't quite sure what to make with it – thanks to your post now I know exactly what I will be making!

Cooking vegetables to death as I like to call it has been one of the best cooking lessons I learned since moving to Rome a year ago. While I am still partial to vegetables with a bit of bite, eaten straight from the colander (broccoli is particularly good for that I find), it is so true that the long and slow cooking brings out so much more flavour – it wasn't until I tried a dish called pasta con le mappe (essentially pasta tossed with panfried cauliflower) that I realised how sweet cauliflower can be.

A savoy cabbage made its way into my weekly shopping the other day and until I saw your post I wasn't quite sure what to make with it – thanks to your post now I know exactly what I will be making!

This was the perfect thing to use up the head of cabbage that came in our CSA. I loved it! My carnivorous husband felt it would benefit from the addition of sausage, but I loved it as is. So comforting!

This was the perfect thing to use up the head of cabbage that came in our CSA. I loved it! My carnivorous husband felt it would benefit from the addition of sausage, but I loved it as is. So comforting!

I am living in Izmir, Turkey and outside my window every morning there is a pickup truck (greengrocer on wheels) full of gigantic cabbages. A lack of good ideas about what to do with one has stopped me buying one until today. Making the soup now. Smells amazing.

I am living in Izmir, Turkey and outside my window every morning there is a pickup truck (greengrocer on wheels) full of gigantic cabbages. A lack of good ideas about what to do with one has stopped me buying one until today. Making the soup now. Smells amazing.

Oh my goodness this soup was beyond delicious – I've been stumped with what to do with a head of cabbage sitting in the fridge for over a week now (oops!) and this could not have been a better recipe. Many compliments and happy bellies last night!!

Oh my goodness this soup was beyond delicious – I've been stumped with what to do with a head of cabbage sitting in the fridge for over a week now (oops!) and this could not have been a better recipe. Many compliments and happy bellies last night!!

I live in Alaska, and cabbage is one veggie we see in abundance. Always looking for new recipe ideas, and this sounds like a great one. Thanks for sharing – my cabbage is cooking away as I type. I thoroughly enjoy your photos, writing and stories. Hope to make it to Delancy one day!

I live in Alaska, and cabbage is one veggie we see in abundance. Always looking for new recipe ideas, and this sounds like a great one. Thanks for sharing – my cabbage is cooking away as I type. I thoroughly enjoy your photos, writing and stories. Hope to make it to Delancy one day!

Well I'll be darned, but this turned out pretty amazing. Not a hard dish to make, but it does take a while if you cook the cabbage on the same day. The only changes I made were to add more parmesan cheese than it called for (it needed it). However, with just a little tweaking, this became a luxurious, sinful tasting item. Mine bore little resemblance to soup. It's not pretty, but it sure is delicious.

Well I'll be darned, but this turned out pretty amazing. Not a hard dish to make, but it does take a while if you cook the cabbage on the same day. The only changes I made were to add more parmesan cheese than it called for (it needed it). However, with just a little tweaking, this became a luxurious, sinful tasting item. Mine bore little resemblance to soup. It's not pretty, but it sure is delicious.

Speaking of soup, I've been making your butternut, pear, vanilla soup this winter from your lovely book. It has become my favorite way to eat butternut squash. It's warm and yet sweeet. I absolutely LOVE it.

Speaking of soup, I've been making your butternut, pear, vanilla soup this winter from your lovely book. It has become my favorite way to eat butternut squash. It's warm and yet sweeet. I absolutely LOVE it.

As I was reaching for the Arborio rice, it was sitting right next to the farro. I was tempted for the better nutritional profile, but was worried the soup needed the starch from the rice, so went with the rice. What do you all think about swapping out for farro?

As I was reaching for the Arborio rice, it was sitting right next to the farro. I was tempted for the better nutritional profile, but was worried the soup needed the starch from the rice, so went with the rice. What do you all think about swapping out for farro?

Just wanted to report back that the smothered cabbage was so so so good – I had some tossed with pasta for a quick lunch and used the rest to make a risotto with farro which I liked even more (and which the boyfriend loved as well).

Just wanted to report back that the smothered cabbage was so so so good – I had some tossed with pasta for a quick lunch and used the rest to make a risotto with farro which I liked even more (and which the boyfriend loved as well).

The cabbage is on the stove right now (and smells amazing!) and now I'm cleainging up the kitchen to make 2 batches of your marshmallows (from that time when Brandon was sill relatively new and there was no June yet). We are making one batch of peppermint and one of chocolate cinnamon (swirl in finely chopped chocolate just after the vanilla and dip in a cocoa cinnamon mixture. It's and experiment, but we are guessing it will end well.)

The cabbage is on the stove right now (and smells amazing!) and now I'm cleainging up the kitchen to make 2 batches of your marshmallows (from that time when Brandon was sill relatively new and there was no June yet). We are making one batch of peppermint and one of chocolate cinnamon (swirl in finely chopped chocolate just after the vanilla and dip in a cocoa cinnamon mixture. It's and experiment, but we are guessing it will end well.)

Made this for dinner last night (my husband was slightly perplexed when I said we were having really, really cooked cabbage for dinner, but I knew I could trust you!). It was SO GOOD. Only adjustment I made was adding a big squeeze of Meyer lemon at the end. Thanks for sharing this one!

Made this for dinner last night (my husband was slightly perplexed when I said we were having really, really cooked cabbage for dinner, but I knew I could trust you!). It was SO GOOD. Only adjustment I made was adding a big squeeze of Meyer lemon at the end. Thanks for sharing this one!

I made the smothered cabbage last night, then felt lazy so sat down with a cat on my lap. My husband stepped in and finished the soup. It was simple and perfect. And as predicted, I can't WAIT for the leftover lunch. Thanks, Molly.

I made the smothered cabbage last night, then felt lazy so sat down with a cat on my lap. My husband stepped in and finished the soup. It was simple and perfect. And as predicted, I can't WAIT for the leftover lunch. Thanks, Molly.

Orangette is the only food blog to which I've been inspired to subscribe. This soup is so tasty. A new comfort food for me. I've learned that the local Wallingford Community Senior Center's lunch program is struggling for funds so, periodically, I donate ingredients for a luncheon. I'm going to donate the ingredients for a large batch of this to be made and served.

Orangette is the only food blog to which I've been inspired to subscribe. This soup is so tasty. A new comfort food for me. I've learned that the local Wallingford Community Senior Center's lunch program is struggling for funds so, periodically, I donate ingredients for a luncheon. I'm going to donate the ingredients for a large batch of this to be made and served.

Just wanted to say thanks for posting this recipe. It's not glamorous, but it's wonderfully delicious. We've made it 3 times in 3 weeks, and I keep hoping to put some in the freezer but the pot gets emptied every time. We've also added in kale and brussel sprouts when our cabbage didn't look like enough, and both additions were delicious! Brown rice instead of the arborio works just as well, too, since the long slow simmer helps break it down. For a vegan version, we skipped the cheese but drizzled a little truffle oil on top of each serving. AMAZING!! Thank you for brining us this wonder!

Just wanted to say thanks for posting this recipe. It's not glamorous, but it's wonderfully delicious. We've made it 3 times in 3 weeks, and I keep hoping to put some in the freezer but the pot gets emptied every time. We've also added in kale and brussel sprouts when our cabbage didn't look like enough, and both additions were delicious! Brown rice instead of the arborio works just as well, too, since the long slow simmer helps break it down. For a vegan version, we skipped the cheese but drizzled a little truffle oil on top of each serving. AMAZING!! Thank you for brining us this wonder!

Just wanted to thank you for bringing us this amazing recipe. We've made it 3 times in 3 weeks, and I keep hoping to stash some in the freezer but the pot is emptied every time. When our cabbage didn't look like enough for our appetites, we added kale and brussel sprouts, and they were delicious, too. To increase the health, we subbed brown rice for the arborio and the long slow cooking worked it's wonders and broke it down to a creamy consistency. For a vegan version, we skipped the cheese and added a splash of truffle oil on top of each serving. AMAZING! Thank you!

Just wanted to thank you for bringing us this amazing recipe. We've made it 3 times in 3 weeks, and I keep hoping to stash some in the freezer but the pot is emptied every time. When our cabbage didn't look like enough for our appetites, we added kale and brussel sprouts, and they were delicious, too. To increase the health, we subbed brown rice for the arborio and the long slow cooking worked it's wonders and broke it down to a creamy consistency. For a vegan version, we skipped the cheese and added a splash of truffle oil on top of each serving. AMAZING! Thank you!

I used equal measures of farro because I was out of Arborio rice and it turned out great. If you have Parmesan broth kicking around in your freezer like I did, this is a great way to use it. Super delicious!